Cryptocurrency
Jonathan Spalletta Convicted in $55 Million Uranium Finance Heist
A Manhattan federal jury found cybersecurity consultant Jonathan Spalletta guilty of computer fraud and money laundering for orchestrating two 2021 attacks against Uranium Finance. The conviction, which followed a six-day trial, could result in a 20-year prison sentence for the 36-year-old Maryland resident when he is sentenced this February.
French Hill Pushes for Crypto Law as Regulatory Clock Ticks Down
With the Senate facing a narrow 22-day window following November’s midterm elections, House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill is doubling down on his demand for permanent crypto legislation. He argues that current regulatory efforts by the SEC and CFTC are insufficient substitutes for a durable congressional framework.
Hyperliquid confirms Singapore base as MAS distances itself from platform
Hyperliquid Labs has officially confirmed its registered headquarters in Singapore, where a core team of approximately 11 employees relocated earlier this year. Despite the physical presence, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) maintains that the decentralized nature of the trading platform places it outside the agency's regulatory jurisdiction.
Sui hits 40.6 million TPS in AI-focused offchain test
Sui recorded a peak throughput of 40.6 million transactions per second during a live demonstration at the Sui Basecamp event in Singapore. The test utilized over 10,000 programmable offchain tunnels, significantly surpassing the network's July performance of 6.1 million TPS and exceeding the project's internal 20 million target.
Hypercall founder argues options must shed complexity to rival perpetuals
Hypercall founder Jake Sylvestre is pushing for a radical overhaul of options trading interfaces, arguing that platforms must simplify user decision-making to compete with the streamlined experience of perpetual futures. The venue reported $536 million in notional volume for September, a significant jump since its June launch.
Coinbase Unlocks Deribit Derivatives Access for US Institutions
Coinbase has formalized a regulated gateway for American institutional investors to access Deribit's derivatives markets, effectively bridging a gap in a sector representing 80% of global crypto trading volume. This integration, supported by recent CFTC staff relief, leverages Coinbase Financial Markets to provide a domestic intermediary for offshore perpetual futures and options.
Paxos Adds XRP to Brokerage Suite for Institutional Partners
Paxos has integrated XRP into its crypto brokerage platform, allowing institutional partners to offer trading, custody, and transfer services for the asset. The move opens the digital currency—which currently boasts over 8.1 million active wallets and a market capitalization nearing $95 billion—to a broader range of financial service providers.
Bitcoin Struggles Near $84,000 as Analysts Debate October Rally
Bitcoin dipped below $84,000 this week after failing to sustain a breakout above $87,000, prompting a split among market observers. While some predict a surge to $100,000 fueled by shifting investor attention, others warn that current price levels remain precarious without consistent spot buying and favorable macroeconomic data.
Crypto Markets Stumble as $554 Million in Long Positions Liquidated
A sharp market-wide correction on October 7 saw Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana slide between 4.3% and 6.3%, wiping roughly $115.5 billion from the total crypto market capitalization. The sudden downturn, which dragged the industry valuation down to $2.925 trillion, was primarily fueled by a massive cascade of forced liquidations among leveraged traders.
Ethereum Slides Toward Key Support Amid Global Market Volatility
Geopolitical friction near the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a sharp retreat in the cryptocurrency markets, pushing Ethereum toward a precarious technical floor. As the token tests the $2,500 to $2,560 support zone, traders are weighing the potential for a rebound against the risk of a deeper structural breakdown.
Europol Signals Quantum Readiness for Crypto Assets
Future quantum computers pose a theoretical risk to cryptocurrency wallets and long-term encrypted data, prompting Europol to urge the industry to initiate security transitions. While no current quantum hardware can compromise blockchain private keys, the agency warns that upgrading decentralized networks requires significant lead time.
Circle and Tereina Integrate USDC and EURC Into SAP Business Software
Enterprise finance teams can now process stablecoin payments directly within SAP Cloud ERP, as Circle and SAP-backed Tereina announce a strategic partnership to embed USDC and EURC into the SAP Pay platform, utilizing the Arc blockchain as the primary infrastructure for global transaction workflows.
Tether and Kazakhstan explore tenge-backed stablecoin pilot
Tether has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan’s National Bank and the Alatau City Authority to evaluate the development of a tenge-pegged stablecoin. The agreement focuses on asset tokenization and decentralized finance, positioning the newly established Alatau City as a potential testing ground for digital financial infrastructure.
Why Stacks is surging on the back of institutional Bitcoin staking
Stacks has climbed over 100% in the last 90 days, fueled by the launch of institutional Bitcoin staking. This new mechanism forces participants to commit STX tokens as collateral for their Bitcoin positions, creating a tangible link between institutional capital inflows and demand for the Stacks network's native asset.
World Liberty Financial Prepares WLFI App Launch Amid Token Slump
World Liberty Financial has finalized development of its WLFI mobile application, according to co-founder Zak Folkman. The announcement at Token2049 Singapore signals a shift into product delivery, though the company has yet to confirm a public release date or specify which features will be available to users at launch.
Russia Licenses First Official Cryptocurrency Exchanges and Custodians
Four cryptocurrency exchange operators and five digital custodians have secured official status in Russia, marking the first wave of registrations under a regulatory framework that took effect on September 1. These firms now operate under Bank of Russia supervision, bridging the gap between traditional finance and digital asset markets.
Ledger Integrates Morpho to Enable Bitcoin-Backed Loans
Ledger has launched a borrowing feature within its wallet app, allowing users to leverage Bitcoin holdings for stablecoin loans. By integrating Morpho’s decentralized infrastructure, the company enables hardware-authenticated lending against cbBTC and wBTC collateral, marking a shift toward deeper integration of self-custodial financial services for its user base.
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Evernorth Delays XRPN Nasdaq Debut to October 12
A four-day delay in the business combination between Evernorth Holdings and Armada Acquisition Corp. II has pushed the anticipated Nasdaq debut of the XRPN ticker to October 12. The company cited administrative hurdles for the revised timeline, which now sets the merger closing for October 9.
Robinhood adds $25 million in Bitcoin to corporate balance sheet
Robinhood has acquired $25 million in Bitcoin, marking a strategic pivot to align the trading platform's treasury with the crypto ecosystem it increasingly serves. While modest relative to the firm's $100 billion market valuation, the move signals a deeper commitment to an asset class driving its recent expansion.
FNB Brings Crypto Trading to South African Retail Investors
First National Bank has opened cryptocurrency trading to its customer base, allowing users to buy five major digital assets directly through its investment platform. By partnering with local exchange VALR, the bank now enables retail investors to enter the market with transactions starting at just R10.
Crypto’s Top 200 Assets Lag Historical Trends Despite Supply Shift
The 200 largest crypto assets have managed a meager 5% gain since October 2021, leaving the broader market roughly 35% below its long-term growth trajectory. While annual token issuance has plummeted from 26.5% to 3.3%, the sector is still struggling to overcome years of aggressive dilution that stifled investor returns.
Naver Financial and Dunamu delay share swap for third time
Regulatory hurdles have forced Naver Financial and Dunamu to postpone their comprehensive share swap for the third time, pushing the anticipated completion date to March 31, 2027. The delay reflects ongoing scrutiny from South Korean authorities as the companies navigate complex business combination reviews and shifting financial regulations.
Gold prediction markets eclipse Ether on Kalshi within weeks
Gold’s 15-minute prediction contracts have surged past Ether-linked markets on the Kalshi exchange just weeks after their August debut. Data from September shows gold markets recording 542 million contracts, significantly outpacing the 318 million contracts generated by Ether, as traders shift toward short-duration commodity speculation.
Meritz Securities Partners With Ripple to Explore Tokenization
Meritz Securities has entered a strategic partnership with Ripple to evaluate the integration of institutional-grade custody and tokenization infrastructure into South Korea’s capital markets. The collaboration, finalized on Oct. 1 in Seoul, signals a long-term move by the brokerage to prepare for upcoming regulatory shifts in digital finance.
US Government Moves $103 Million in Bitcoin and BNB to Exchanges
Federal authorities have transferred 833.6 BTC and 40,285 BNB—a combined valuation of $103 million—into custody-linked wallets, sparking renewed speculation regarding a potential liquidation. While the Bitcoin reached Coinbase Prime, the movement does not confirm a sale, as the exchange serves as both a storage and trading provider for federal assets.
IRS Updates Staking Safe Harbor for Crypto Investment Trusts
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has issued Revenue Procedure 2026-20, establishing a refined safe harbor that allows qualifying investment and grantor trusts to stake digital assets without jeopardizing their federal tax status. The framework mandates strict standards for custody, liquidity management, and the distribution of staking rewards.
Cardano Mainnet Update Enables Asset Seizure and Compliance Controls
Cardano has officially integrated CIP-0113 onto its mainnet, granting issuers of regulated assets the ability to implement programmable compliance rules directly into native tokens. The new standard allows for identity verification, transfer limits, and controversial features like the ability to freeze accounts or force asset seizures on-chain.
Winklevoss Duo Files for Zcash ETF Under WINK Ticker
Thirteen years after their pioneering attempt to launch a spot bitcoin fund, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss have returned to the regulatory arena. Winklevoss Asset Services filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to list a spot Zcash ETF on Nasdaq, aiming to capture market share with a competitive 0.25% annual fee.
Conduit Sues Tether Over $2.76 Million Frozen in Treasury Wallet
Cross-border payments firm Conduit Technology has filed a lawsuit against Tether in the Southern District of New York, challenging the freezing of $2.76 million in USDT. The company alleges that Tether blacklisted its corporate treasury wallet without a direct mandate from Brazilian authorities or any valid legal claim.
Bitcoin.de pivots to partner model after German regulator rejects license
Trading on Bitcoin.de remains largely frozen after Germany’s financial regulator, BaFin, denied a MiCA authorization application from the platform’s subsidiary, futurum bank. The rejection forces the Bitcoin Group to abandon its original plan for an internal license and scramble for a new operating structure involving third-party partners.